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Asim Omar, UP Born South Asian Head Of Al Qaeda, Killed In A Joint US-Afghan Military Operation
Swarajya Staff
Oct 09, 2019, 10:19 AM | Updated 10:19 AM IST
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The United States officials confirmed on Tuesday (Oct 8) that a joint US-Afghanistan commando raid on 23 September killed Asim Omar, the India-born head of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), along with six other Al-Qaeda members in the southern Helmand province.
Omar and six other Al-Qaeda fighters, including a courier for Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, were eliminated in an operations by special forces in the Musa Qala district, a Taliban stronghold.
The Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) shared pictures showing Umar both alive and dead.
1/2: BREAKING: #NDS can now confirm the death of Asim Omar, leader of #Al_Qaeda in the #Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), in a joint US-Afghan raid on a Taliban compound in Musa Qala district of Helmand province on Sep. 23. pic.twitter.com/sFKi38M6MC
— NDS Afghanistan (@NDSAfghanistan) October 8, 2019
According to US government, Omar was born in Sambalpur in Uttar Pradesh, India and later migrated to Pakistan.
2/2: Omar, a #Pakistani citizen, was #killed along with six other AQIS members, most of them Pakistani. Among them was Raihan, Omarâs courier to Ayman #Al_Zawahiri. They had been embedded inside the Taliban compound in the #Taliban stronghold of Musa Qala. pic.twitter.com/7jQF7bK7aD
— NDS Afghanistan (@NDSAfghanistan) October 8, 2019
The joint US- Afghan operations also resulted in collateral damage with at least 40 people attending a wedding party in the area were killed.
As many as 22 Taliban fighters were killed during the operation while 14 people were arrested, including five Pakistani nationals and one Bangladeshi citizen. A large warehouse of supplies and equipment was also destroyed.
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